Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-27
Ell PASO. TEXAS.
A Very Interesting Letter From
n Tourist.


Correspondence Los ANGELES HERALD,l
One day, not long ago, found my
self in Ell Paso, en- route for the City OF
Mexico, and again, after visiting the
land of tortillas, revolutions and
relics, / rested at the Texan border
town en- route fer California. Ii l had
then consulted the table Of distances
now b. fore me, should have learned
that FL Paso is 1850 miles from Chicago,
ll73 miles from Kansas City, 1924 from
the City of Mexico, ll63 from New
Orleans, 1856 from San Francisco, 1859
from st. Louis, 2239 from Washing on.
and 24lO from New York. These fig.
ures and glance at comprehensive
railroad map show the important rela.
ton that Eel Paso must bear to the
rapidly developing Southwest. The
Pass-El Paso it is without question; it
is tho natural gateway to the Republic
of Mexico, and the fore.ordained juno
tion of the great railways connecting
Chicago with the City of Mexico, and
New Orleans with San Francisco. Here
meet the Mexican Central Railroad. the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Rail.
road and the connecting lines of the
Southern Pacific Company, which by
steamship and by rail offer continuous
transportation from New York to San
Francisco. These advantages are obvi.
Gus, and the natural resources of the
Rio Grande valley ore not inconsider.
able, but l believe that they are
greatly overestimated by the people Of
Kl Paso.
Ell pAso IN 1876.
The weary and thirsty soldiers of 46
and AT wrote glowing accounts OF Ell
Paso fruits and wines, and the real es-
tate agents of more recent days have
done their part in praising the valley OF
the Rio Grande. Having read some of
these reports, the writer approached FL
Paso with high expectations. He must
confess disappointment; but he remem.
bers that it was only in 1881 that the
first locomotive entered the place, and
that in 1878 the population included
only twenty.three "Am aricans" and
about $50 Mcxicans. Though still new,
unfinished, and no more populous than
many of tire suburban villages of Chi.
eago, New Yo,k and Boston. it would
no doubt he beautiful town in the ey es
of the soldiers that followed Doniphan
to its "plaz." December II, 1916, and
encamped there till the driving sand
compelled the comm ander to quarter
them in this noadescript adobe houses,
some of which still remain, bat most OF
which have given place to frame dwell
ipgs or to business houses of brick or
stone.
Ell PAso IN 1887.
The present population exceeds 5000
Here are Baptist, Methodist, Pr, r,sby-
teiian. Protestant Episcor ral and Roman
Catholic churches, two national banks,
two good hotels, the best one costing
100000; an ice factory, a courthouse
costing $ll0 600, Jail costing S35 000
and an imposing new public school build
ing costing $4,000 There are four
newspaper, one daily, and various as.
sociatons for the promotion Of lcca'
industries. A street railway con-
meets Ell Paso with the Mexican
town Paso del Norte, (the Pass
of the north) on the opposite bank OF
the Rio Grande. The history of 'del
Norte" begins with 1920, when the
place was founded by Jesuit missiona-
ries.
In 1915 Texas annexed to the United
States. Having retained her public
lands, she sold to the United States
government, for $4,000, ,000, part of
what is now New Mexico. This money
was used in the construction of the State
capitol, deaf and dumb, bin d and luna.
tic asylums, and in the endowment Of
public school. There is permanent
school fund Of So, 500, 900. which yields
an annual income of more than $500, 600
The schools OF Ell Paso county (only live
in number, though the county is as large
as all Connecticut and Includes IL 600
souls) are supported by this endowment.
La the city of kl Paso, however, there is
q local scnoul tax, which indicates com.
mendable purpose to mlinta'n superior
schools. This is very significant char
acteristic OF early all tie new towns in
our growing west. The apparent made.
auacy of the schools of Ell Paso county
is perhaps explained by the fact mat
one.half he people are of the Spanish
or Eexica Indian race, to whom the
atmosphere of schoolroom would be
very oppressive. Moreover, the popu
lation OF the county is clustered in six or
seven settlemen Sci Paso, Ysleta, So.
CORE, San EIz .rio. Fort Bliss, Concorda
and Camp Rice, all but 500 of the IL, 900
living in these places--so that five COM
rnodious buildings might accommodate
all the children of school age that could
hs expected to attend.
THE HISTORY OF Ell PAso
Begins with 1927. when Don Juan Ma
ria Ponce de Leon, of Paso del Norte,
made successful application to his
government for grant of the land now
occupied by El Paso. The little settle.
ment was disturbed only by wolves and
Indians until the Mexican war. One of
Doniphan's army writes: Snow there are
great many wolves which come down
from the ne ghboring mountains into the
suburbs of Fl Paso and kill the focks.
They kept up dolorous serenade
during the nights, and in many instan.
ces were so bold as almost to drive the
sentinels from their posts" He also
mentions the depredations of the
Apaches.
Mr.. j. T. Hughes, in his ''Donphian's 5
Expedition" tells an FL Paso love story
SIT was at El Paso," he says, 18th 1t two
American soldiers conceived, for two fair
Mexican glrls, an affection SO strong and
ardent that they did not choose to
march any further with the army. Hav-
ing marched with their companies one
or two days, they deserted camp at
night, returned to those they loved, and
in a short time married them"
Here may be mentioned Isleta, or
Ysleta. an island town of 1000 souls,
situated few miles below Ell Paso. Ii
was formerly the county seat, and was
originally a village of Pueblo Indians
An interesting account of these Indians
ia to b. found in Lieutenant w. h. G.
10 fha Chief In